HONOLULU, Jul. 4, 2010 (Kyodo News International) -- Personnel of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted an antipiracy inspection drill in Hawaii on Saturday.
The exercise came ahead of a similar drill to be carried out late this month as part of a multilateral session of the U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise, or RIMPAC.
In Saturday's drill at the U.S. Navy's Pearl Harbor base, three groups of MSDF personnel wearing bulletproof vests searched Japan's Aegis-equipped Atago on the premise that it was a suspected pirate vessel, Japanese officials said.
RIMPAC 2010, hosted by the United States, began late last month in waters off Hawaii with the participation of allied military forces from 13 other countries. It is scheduled to last until August 1.
